>> axelrod: tonight, to russia from above. the exploding meteor and the shockwave heard around the world. ( screaming ) tony guida is tracking the aftermath of a very close encounter. the family of oscar pistorius says it will fight the charge of premeditated murder. kelly cobiella has the latest on the double amputee olympian accused of killing his girlfriend. 100 americans die every day from overdoses of prescription pain killers. >> so some days you're taking 22 pills. >> yes. >> reporter: mark strassmann speaks with an addicted executive. and manuel bojorquez has the story of this american teenager who is the youngest women's world slalom champion in nearly

four decades. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> axelrod: good evening. we begin tonight with that meteor that exploded over russia. scientists now say it was even bigger and heavier than they first thought 55 feet long and weighing 10,000 tons. it was moving at a speed of 40,000 miles per hour when it hit the atmosphere, produce an enormous shock wave that blew out windows and injured 1200 people in chelyabinsk, russia. tony guida has more on the largest known media to hit the earth since 1908. >> reporter: at chebarkul lake 950 miles east of moscow, scientists today looked for remnants of the meteor. fisherman valery morozov saw the space rock falling through the sky. "in a matter of seconding," he says, it appeared to grow from a

small flare into a huge ball and then an unbelievably bright flash. >> about once every 100 years something bigger than a minivan will come through the atmosphere and impact either our atmosphere or the earth. >> reporter: and this was that event? >> that was that event. >> reporter: charles liu an astronomer at the city university of new york, says we were lucky that the meteor, made up prarl of rock or ice, blew up in the atmosphere with a force of 20 atomic bombs. >> if this amount of energy had been detonated at ground level instead of 10 miles up, it would have probably leveled every single building in an area the size of chicago. >> reporter: that's hundreds of thousands, maybe millions dead. >> it's hard to think about that the possibility could be that, but it's there. >> reporter: the explosion blew out windows in thousands of apartment buildings sending glass shards flying. no one was killed. among the jur injured two00

children. more than 300 schools sustained damage. a wall at a zinc factually claeped. the region's governor promised to replace all the broken windows in a week, a long way where the temperature was 12 below zero. tony guida cbs news, new york. >> axelrod: the russians weren't the only ones looking up and seeing meteors purpose there were two other apparent meteor sightings reported last night one over cuba and then look at the upper right part of your screen. this image was captured in san francisco. neither of these other two meteors caused any injuries or damage. joining us now for more on all this activity above earth is jeffrey kluger, the science editor for "time" magazine. it has started to feel we've warnedded into some sort of meteor blizzard. has something actually changed? >> actually, it hasn't. the earth has been playing in cosmic traffic for about 4.5 billion years. the fact is we're hit by about 100 tons of space debris every day, and that include at least

one object the size of a basketball. and every four months, something comes in about as big as a volkswagen. >> axelrod: so with all this debris floating around, how carefully are we looking out for it? >> very carefully actually. since 1995, nasa has been charged by congress with keeping a 24-hour-a-day seven-day-a-week watch on the skies, and they're doing this principally with three observatories in new mexico, california and puerto rico, that have discovered about 98% of all the asteroid we know that are out there. >> axelrod: if they identify a potential threat what can then be done by way of a defense system? well, that's a real possibility. you don't want to destroy these things. they're too dangerous and it's too impractical. what you can do is deflect them. nasa has already perfected the art of landing on asteroids orbiting asteroids and we even fired an impactor into the side of a comet to study the debris. you can do the same impact mod welan asteroid and speed it up

or slow it down by as little as a few centimeters a second. that way had it arrives at earth's orbit we've already passed by or haven't arrived at the rendezvous yet. >> axelrod: just a fraction. >> just a fraction. >> axelrod: in south africa today the extended family of olympic runner oscar pistorius came to his defense claiming the state's own evidence will refute the charge that he deliberately shot and killed his girlfriend. kelly cobiella has the latest on a case that has two families in shock. >> reporter: lawyers for oscar pistorius met with him today as did his grandmother at the pretoria police station where he's been held since his arrest on valentine's day. speaking on the family's behalf, his urgele, arnold pistorius. >> our entire family is devastate pd we are in a state of total shock. >> reporter: his upscale home where girlfriend reeva steenkamp was found dead is still taped off. she was reportedly shot four times through a closed bathroom

door with a gun owned by pistorius. early reports suggested that the hero athlete thought he was shooting an intruder. south africa has one of the highest violent crime rates in the world-- 40 murders a day, on average. millions live in gated communities with panic alarms and guns. last november, pistorius tweeted that he mistook the washing machine for a rosh and went went into full combat recon mode into the pantry." prosecutors say this was murder, not a mistake. while pistorius has not yet entered a plea his family insists the evidence will show otherwise. >> we have no doubt here there is no substance for the allegations. >> reporter: reeva steenkamp 29 was on the verge of super stardom in south africa, a successful mod wela new reality tv show that aired tonight. the producers decided to go ahead, despite her death. the family agreed, even as they plan her private memorial.

uncle mike steenkamp: >> i can't see the family getting over this shortly. it's going to be a long, long-term reconciliation. >> reporter: pistorius who wept during his first court appearance yesterday, will be back in court on tuesday for a bail hearing. his lawyers are expected to argue for his release. kelly cobiella, cbs news, london. >> axelrod: police in pakistan say at least 65 people are dead and 200 wounded after a bombing today stay crowded market. it happened in the city of quetta. the bomb was set off by remote control while dozens of women and children were doing their weekend shopping. the vatican says it may move up the conclave to choose a new pope. pope benedict, who met with italy's prime minister today in one of his last private audiences, steps down february 28. the conclave, currently set for mid-march, could happen sooner if the cardinals approve. now to southern california and

questions facing the sheriff of san bernardino county about his department'sing of the deadly standoff with former l.a. cop christopher dorner. carter evans tells us the sheriff is standing by his deposit. >> reporter: authorities are now releasing more details about christopher dorner's final hours. we were caught in the cross-fire, a gun battle that lasted nearly an hour. then silence. swat team leader greg herbert: >> there was no response from the suspect, none, no movement. and we felt that, based upon his behavior, that he was laying in wait for us. >> reporter: with daylight fading herbert's team deployed a powerful form of tear gas known as a burner. the cabin caught fire and as the flames grew larger. >> we heard a distinct single gunshot come from inside the house. >> the information we have right now seems to indicate that the wound that took christopher dorner's life was self-inflicted. >> reporter: captain kevin lacey made it official-- dorner

killed himself. less clear is whether the fire was deliberately set. you indicated on wednesday that you did not intentionally burn that cabin down to get mr. dorner out. audio we recorded there suggests differently. >> i stand by that remark. >> burn that ( bleep ) house down. >> get going right now. >> we did not intentionally burn that cabin down. i would suggest to you that those comments were made by somebody away from the tactical team. >> reporter: sheriff john mcmahon is also facing questions about the early days of the massive manhunt. on february 8 he briefed the news media: >> we have searched the entire area that's within this close proximity. >> reporter: it turned out dorner was inside a condo less than 100 feet away the whole time, overlooking the sheriff's command post. >> i don't believe that we made any mistakes at this point. the search itself, our deputy sheriffs performed flawlessly. >> reporter: before his rampage ended dorner killed four people, including a san bernardinosanbernardino county sheriff's

deputy on the final day. >> axelrod: some highways in michigan are now closed after a winter storm there. dozens of vehicles were involved in a series of multicar pileups south of detroit after a quick burst of snow reduced visibility. part of the carolinas spent the day under a winter weather advisory. they got several inches of snow there this afternoon. later, a painkilling addict tells his story. meet the 17-year-old american world women's slalom champion. and guns and gun control on a collision course in one small town. that over time, having high cholesterol and any of these risk factors can put them at increased risk for plaque buildup in their arteries. so it's even more important to lower their cholesterol and that's why, when diet

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you've been paying more for gasoline recently, it's because you have. the latest survey of gas prices around the country shows an average price for a gallon of unleaded regular to be $3.69 a gallon. that's up 11 cents in the last week, 40 cents in the last month. we are now seeing something on wall street we haven't seen for a while-- a rash of megadeals and mergers. this week, food giant heinz announced warren buffet would be purchasing the company, along with a brazilian group for $23 billion. and american airlines and us airways announced an $11 billion merger. join us is mark zandi chief economist of moody's analytics. so many reports of starts and stop of the recovery. what are the possibilities this is a sustained traction? >> i think this is the real deal. confidence is improving and confidence is key to a better economy. these investors in these companies feel good about their prospects. of course they have very low

interest rates record low interest rates that they can borrow to help finance those purchases. and the shareholders in these companies feel like they're get a fair deal because stock prices are back close to record levels. activities are back to levels we haven't seen since before the great recession and i think that means the country is getting back to normal. >> axelrod: so confidence is going tow produce deals but i think what a lot of people want to know is what does that mean for job creation? >> good question. in the near term, i think it means job losses because most mergers and acacquisitions are about cost cutting although in the deals being done now i think cost cutting will be more modest than in times past. but in the longer run it will mean more jobs. this is necessary to get these companies in shape, these industries in shape. in the case of american airlines/us airways, the unions are in favor of about of it because they know they have to go through this to make for a better airline and more jobs in the future. >> axelrod: so a little more short-term pain but your sense

is sustained long-term gain on the other side. mark zandi thanks for being with us. >> that's right. thank you. >> axelrod: more than 1,000 jobs may be in jeopardy in a small town in upstate new york, and many of the people who live there are blaming the push from new york's governor for tighter gun control. magalie laguerre-wilkonson has the story. >> reporter: founded in 1816, remington is america's oldest arms manufacturer. illion, new york, is home. mayor john stephens says business is booming. >> pun intend, they're going great gun. >> reporter: in recent years stephens says, remington has brought $50 million to the region annually. >> it's 200 years almost of history. it just wouldn't seem right to have it someplace else. >> reporter: stephens is worried because outsiders have set their sights on the the plant's 1300 jobs. in the aftermath of the newtown connecticut, school shooting new york governor andrew cuomo pass the the nation's strictest gun control, banning high-capacity magazines and

assault weapons. within two weeks, south carolina congressman jeff duncan wrote to remington's c.e.o. saying, "in south carolina, we believe in the right to keep and bear arms. we need to encourage other businesses who share those beliefs to relocate to the palmetto state." many the town are worried. herkimer county legislator ray johnson: >> sooner or later some of the vawfers to start looking a little bit better. do we stay here or do we move? >> reporter: so speak of officers, there were solicitations. >> there are five or six out there right now. >> reporter: south carolina is not alone. arizona, kentucky, michigan, oklahoma and texas have also made offers. what would happen if remington had to close up shop here? >> you're talking about the mom and pop shops that depend on you know 400 to 600 employees for shift. once that's gone, all these other shops, they close up. >> reporter: remington would not comment on camera. but told cbs news that the

company was exploring all options. magalie laguerre-wilkonson, cbs news illion, new york. >> axelrod: up next, he's an executive and pain killer addict and he says he can't stop.

>> axelrod: we want to take a look tonight at prescription

drug abuse where overdoses were linked to more than 15,000 deaths in 2009. that's more than the number of cocaine and heroine deaths combined. mark strassmann with an executive battling his addiction. we agreed to conceal his face upon. his name is jeff. >> you can't just stop. it's not possible just to stop. you can't do it on your own. >> reporter: jeff's addiction story began two and a half years ago when he was hurt in a car accident. doctors prescribed narcotic pain killer oxycodone, and antianxiety drug xanax. he was eager to get back to work and says he leaned too much on his drugs and now every day he takes more than double the original dosage. 12 pain pills a day. >> with xanax. >> reporter: with 10 xanax a day. so some days you're taking 22 pills. >> yes. make one phone call, they prescribe thernlg i pick them up. >> reporter: but do these doctors have any idea how much you're taking? >> they do not call me in.

they do not ask me any questions. >> reporter: nick kardaras is clinical director at the dunes treatment center in upscale east hampton, new york. he's troubled that in 20 years prescriptions for pain narcotics have tripled to 210 million per year. >> is there a rise in pain or a rise to our intolerance of pain? because i can't in good conscience as an academic, as a researcher accept the notion that we have three times more pain over the last 20 years. >> in 2010, college-educated pill addicts seeking treatment hit a record high, 17.5%. but many more white-collar addicts refuse to get help like jeff. >> i pretty much work and come home. i have settled down to a life of doing nothing. >> reporter: everything is telling you to stop. >> all the signs are there. >> reporter: there seems to be no accountability, not by the doctors, not by the system or by

you. >> you're absolutely right and i realize that. >> reporter: he won't ask his real estate employer for help, aphrase of losing everything. >> i manage multi-million-dollar assets. i cannot leave these properties to take a leave. it's just not possible. >> when we're talking about higher functioning and more successful type of addicts, their excuses are more readily built in. so real or imagined that becomes the excuse to not get into treatment. >> reporter: for a guy who sees himself as very disciplined and in control you have given up. >> at this point i would say yes, i have. have i had suicidal thoughts? yes. who wants to live a life like this. but at the same time i have a family and a child that depends upon me. >> their drug has become their lover, their crutch, their coping mechanism. you create a story that leaves you there. >> jeff knows he has created his own story of addiction. he has yet to write awe new chapter where he will get out alive. strauss strawrks cbs news,

atlanta. >> axelrod: still ahead, an american teenager tears down the slopes and into the record books. [ male announcer ] when you're going the distance it's nice to have the experience and commitment to go along with you. aarp medicare supplement insurance plans, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. keep dreaming. keep doing. go long. this is america. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. i love to eat. i love hanging out with my friends. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis. i've always had that issue with the seeds getting under my denture. super poligrip free -- it creates a seal of the dentures

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champ in almost four decades. manuel bojorquez has the story. >> mikaela shiffrin was in third place heading into this final run, but after the race, her time said she was the fastest in the world despite her prerace jitters. >> just tried to find my legs. they popped up out of nowhere. i was in the starting gate. and i was like, there they are. i can go no. >> reporter: geoff mintz writes for "ski racing" magazine and he was there. we spoke with him have a skype from austria. >> she's very smart. she handles things in a way that, you know you would expect of a 30-year-old athlete maybe not a 17-year-old athlete. >> reporter: it's easy to forget she's just a teenager from vail, colorado. she hasn't even graduated from high school. >> i could use a hug from my dad. >> reporter: but she's no stranger to world-class skiing. last year, she was named world cup rookie of the year. >> oh! i guess i just tried to fly. >> reporter: earlier this

month, star skier lindsey vonn had a major crash that ended her season. expectations for shiffrin are high. >> there's no such thing as a sure thing in the sport of ski racing, but if there ever was one, she's as close as you can get to it. >> reporter: this may be shiffrin's biggest victory to date with the winter olympics just a year away. manuel bojorquez, cbs news, new york. >> axelrod: and that is the cbs evening news. later on cbs "48 hours." for now i'm jim axelrod in new york. for all of us here at cbs news, good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org